PA28 instrument student and instructor had total electrical failure in ntd class east airspace.

Attributes
ACN	538432
Time
Date	200202
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : oxr.airport
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl single value : 5000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : ntd.tracon tower : smo.tower
Operator	general aviation : instructional
Make Model Name	PA-28 Cherokee/Archer II/Dakota/Pillan/Warrior
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot instruction : trainee
Qualification	pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 70 flight time total : 300 flight time type : 300
ASRS Report	538432
Person 2
Affiliation	other
Function	instruction : instructor
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : ammeter other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	controller : provided flight assist none taken : detected after the fact other
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

I was on an IFR training flight with my instructor from oxnard back to my home airport at santa monica in a cherokee. The takeoff and climb out phase were routine and we had leveled out at our assigned altitude of 5000 ft MSL, with a heading of direct vny. I noticed that the obs needles on both navigation radios were oscillating. The led frequency displays on the radios then blinked off. The controller advised us he was not receiving our transponder code. I recycled the transponder but he still was not able to receive it. Shortly after this, we stopped receiving xmissions, and it was apparent that the electrical system had totally failed. Recycling the alternator/battery rocker switches did not do anything useful. I descended in VFR conditions to 2500 ft MSL and was able to recognize my position as being over simi valley. I overflew the 118 freeway headed east, turned right at the east end of the santa susanna pass, flew south to the 101 freeway and then turned east so as to avoid the burbank class C airspace. At the sepulveda pass, I turned south and after receiving a steady green light-gun signal from smo tower, I made a right base entry to runway 21 and made an uneventful landing. We called the tower after landing to see what they wanted us to do, but they said no report was necessary. This was potentially a very serious situation, and we were fortunate to have been flying in VMC. Both the instructor and I had noted the ammeter seemed to be indicating a 'low-normal' charge condition, but the needle was certainly not far from the middle of the gauge. This incident was insidious in nature because the electrical failure was gradual and not sudden.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PA28 INST STUDENT AND INSTRUCTOR HAD TOTAL ELECTRICAL FAILURE IN NTD CLASS E AIRSPACE.

Narrative: I WAS ON AN IFR TRAINING FLT WITH MY INSTRUCTOR FROM OXNARD BACK TO MY HOME ARPT AT SANTA MONICA IN A CHEROKEE. THE TKOF AND CLBOUT PHASE WERE ROUTINE AND WE HAD LEVELED OUT AT OUR ASSIGNED ALT OF 5000 FT MSL, WITH A HDG OF DIRECT VNY. I NOTICED THAT THE OBS NEEDLES ON BOTH NAV RADIOS WERE OSCILLATING. THE LED FREQ DISPLAYS ON THE RADIOS THEN BLINKED OFF. THE CTLR ADVISED US HE WAS NOT RECEIVING OUR XPONDER CODE. I RECYCLED THE XPONDER BUT HE STILL WAS NOT ABLE TO RECEIVE IT. SHORTLY AFTER THIS, WE STOPPED RECEIVING XMISSIONS, AND IT WAS APPARENT THAT THE ELECTRICAL SYS HAD TOTALLY FAILED. RECYCLING THE ALTERNATOR/BATTERY ROCKER SWITCHES DID NOT DO ANYTHING USEFUL. I DSNDED IN VFR CONDITIONS TO 2500 FT MSL AND WAS ABLE TO RECOGNIZE MY POS AS BEING OVER SIMI VALLEY. I OVERFLEW THE 118 FREEWAY HEADED E, TURNED R AT THE E END OF THE SANTA SUSANNA PASS, FLEW S TO THE 101 FREEWAY AND THEN TURNED E SO AS TO AVOID THE BURBANK CLASS C AIRSPACE. AT THE SEPULVEDA PASS, I TURNED S AND AFTER RECEIVING A STEADY GREEN LIGHT-GUN SIGNAL FROM SMO TWR, I MADE A R BASE ENTRY TO RWY 21 AND MADE AN UNEVENTFUL LNDG. WE CALLED THE TWR AFTER LNDG TO SEE WHAT THEY WANTED US TO DO, BUT THEY SAID NO RPT WAS NECESSARY. THIS WAS POTENTIALLY A VERY SERIOUS SIT, AND WE WERE FORTUNATE TO HAVE BEEN FLYING IN VMC. BOTH THE INSTRUCTOR AND I HAD NOTED THE AMMETER SEEMED TO BE INDICATING A 'LOW-NORMAL' CHARGE CONDITION, BUT THE NEEDLE WAS CERTAINLY NOT FAR FROM THE MIDDLE OF THE GAUGE. THIS INCIDENT WAS INSIDIOUS IN NATURE BECAUSE THE ELECTRICAL FAILURE WAS GRADUAL AND NOT SUDDEN.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.